


Open Arms

by theystayalive



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Concert, F/M, Jancy, Journey, Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-05
Updated: 2016-10-05
Packaged: 2018-08-19 17:57:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8219935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theystayalive/pseuds/theystayalive
Summary: Jonathan and Nancy decide to sneak out and go to the Journey concert on a school night.





	

“Nancy come on, I promise it’s not that far of a jump. You can make it”.

Nancy took in a sharp breath as she looked down at the space between the ledge beneath her window and the sill she was perched on, then to Jonathan standing on the ground below.

“I’m definitely a lot shorter than you are”.

Jonathan laughed and mockingly held out his arms, “I’ll catch you if you fall”.

Nancy scoffed and threw her hair back off her shoulder, “Oh please I probably lift more than you can. Just give me a second, I’m coming”.

Nancy threw her leg over the window sill and gave herself a shove off, landing on the ledge below, somehow, on both feet. But just as quickly as she landed, she lost her balance and fell to the ground, landing square on her butt. Jonathan stifled another laugh and quickly helped her up, dusting off her clothes and picking a leaf out of her hair.

“See? I knew you could do it”. Nancy smirked and took his hand, lacing her fingers through his and gently tugging towards the car,

“Come on,” he said, “let’s go before your parents decide to investigate that loud sound you made when you fell out of your window”.

She punched his shoulder and made a face, “I didn’t fall, smart ass, I jumped”.

They slid into Jonathan’s car and he started the engine.

Nancy looked back at the house uneasily. “Maybe...maybe we should have left a note or something. I’m afraid if we get caught…”

“Don’t worry, we won’t. It’s 11 pm, your parents are probably dead asleep right now”.

“Well I do have two quizzes tomorrow...”.

Jonathan turned to fully face Nancy and smiled reassuringly, “Nancy, seriously, if you’re uncomfortable tell me and we don’t have to do this. It won’t hurt my feelings at all”.

She thought for a moment then shook her head, “No...no I want to go. There's no telling when Journey will be this close again”.

“You sure”?

She smiled back, “Positive. Come on, let’s go”.

And with that, they turned onto the street and drove off into the night.

+++

They arrived at the amphitheater about twenty minutes later. And judging by the lights and noise, the show already started. They were late. Jonathan parked about two blocks away, and as soon as the car was put into park, both teenagers jumped out and began running to the venue.

“Hurry up, Nance!” Jonathan called over his shoulder. His girlfriend promptly picked up her speed and launched herself onto his back, prompting him to stagger briefly but continue running. "Nancy what the hell are you doing!" "Go, don't stop go!" she laughed over the wind whushing past her ears, gripping his shoulders tightly. She didn't jump off until they got to the gate.

When they got to the door, they hurriedly handed their tickets to the guard at the front and entered the venue. Music and light immediately enveloped their senses. The bass pulsated all around them as lights flashed over the audience, revealing the mass of people singing and yelling and dancing and claiming every inch of space around them. With Jonathan's hand on Nancy's shoulder, they began weaving their way in and out of people to get as close to the stage as possible.

When Nancy looked up, they were in about the tenth row of the pit, directly in front of the stage. “Oh my god,” was all she could say as she took it all in. The realization that _Journey_ was right in front of her sunk in. The real thing. Not the band she had listened thousand of times on her radio on the way home from school, or in her room while doing homework. But the real thing. And the energy of the crowd surrounding her, the sound over the speakers, the band up on stage, right there...it was a thousand times better then anything she could have ever heard on the radio. It made her stomach feel fluttery and her chest swell like a balloon.

The band began transitioning into the next song. The lights went down and Nancy immediately recognized the beat as Open Arms.

 

_Lying beside you, here in the dark._

_Feeling your heartbeat with mine._

_Softly, you whisper, you’re so sincere._

_How could our love be so blind?_

 

She let out a happy squeal and looked at Jonathan excitedly, gripping his arm, “Oh my GOD! I didn’t think they would play this one, it’s not even on the Frontiers album!”.

 

_We sailed together,_

_We drifted apart,_

_Now you’re here by my side._

 

Jonathan watched her as she stared up at the stage, the lights turning her face shades of purple and blue and green. Yes, he loves he band. He loved this song. But at that moment nothing was comparing to the way the girl next to him looked in the lights of the concert. She looked at them with the same smile and starry eyes as a child looks at a presents under a Christmas tree. The dimmy lit room and the bright blue stage lights made her eyes look like they were glowing. He couldn't take his eyes off her.

She must have felt him watching her because for a brief moment, she tore her eyes off of the stage and met his.

 

_So now I come to you with open arms,_

_Nothing to hide, believe what I say._

 

They stood there, chaos and music engulfing them, looking at each other like they were the only two people in the room. After a moment, he reached down and took her hand. “May I have this dance?”

 

_So here I am,_

_With open arms,_

_Hoping you'll see what your love means to me._

_Open arms._

 

Nancy grinned and twirled herself around with his hand, “Please”.

So they danced. They danced all the way through the next four songs, laughing and singing and spinning and swaying. Both deliriously happy, both wishing they could just stop. That they could just freeze time right here, in the lights and music, and in each other's arms.

“I love you, Nancy”.

“I love you too”.

+++

Nancy had always enjoyed drives with Jonathan. But somehow it was even better at night.

She folded and placed both her arms outside the open car window and rested her head on top of them. The cool night air whipping past felt incredible on her face and hands. She turned to watch Jonathan’s face as street lights whisked by. The shadows cast on his face somehow made him look...soft. Unaware. He was humming along with the tape in the car and tapping the steering wheel.

Quickly and deliberately, she leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek.

He looked at her quizzically, “What was that for?”

“For having this idea. For getting me out of the house. For loving me. For being you...I don’t know you decide”.

He looked over at her for as long as he could, “Wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else”.

Nancy reached across and turned the stereo up, thinking that if this is what life with Jonathan Byers was always going to be like she never wanted it to stop.


End file.
